Fei Fei Sun on Her Personal Style Transformation

Fei Fei Sun is a bit of a head-turner when it comes to her street style. One of the most coveted faces on the runway, the campaign-fronting Vogue#Instagirl is a street style staple every Fashion Week: You can spot her trotting from show to show in getups that range from elevated New York model-off-duty (think Chanel kicks matched with a hole-ridden oversized sweatshirt from Jeremy Scott) to nymph-on-the-sidewalk in Paris, in a fringe-forward Dries Van Noten dress and ethereal Versace headpiece.

But Sun’s look wasn’t always so chicly on trend. The 26-year-old grew up in Weifang, China—a far cry from her current bustling homes of Shanghai and New York City. Aside from sweaters that her mother knit, an occasional find at a bazaar, or a dress given to her on her fifth birthday by her aunt, Sun usually followed the rules. And there were a lot of rules. “I was always wearing a school uniform. My friends would try to [customize] it, but our teachers said everyone should be the same,” says Sun. “Even in university, there was no time to follow the trends—all that my friends talked about after class was studying!”

As for now, Sun has come a long way since her days as a boarding school student in a uniform. Though she still prefers the back-to-basics of an everyday look, this one is more casting-friendly than bookish. “The first thing I bought when I was modeling was a white T-shirt,” says Sun. “But it can be mixed with jeans or a skirt or whatever. I love the two colors of blue and white. I wear it all the time. It’s what makes me feel comfortable.” After all, if the uniform fits—and looks great—wear it.